Friction drawer retainer



Dec. 8, 1953 R. H. WILMER 2,661,997 1 FRICTIOI q DRAWER RETAINER Filed March 6, 1950 INVENTOR 6 I-,- 28 BuoaLeHHWLMEB, 27 a ,3 BY I 2s= 2/ a \20 I ORNEY Patented 'Dec. 8, 1953 UNITED S TATES PATENT OFF I CE "FRIGTION DRAWER RETAINER Rudolph-H. Wilmer, :Youngstow'n, '0hio,-assignor to The General Fireproofing Qompany i oungstown, hio,- acor-poration-of Ohio Application Marchfi, 1950,-Scrial No.' I47:901

This invention 'relates' to 'furniture drawersaand is'more particularly concerned with check devices for holding or retaining .thedrawers in a closed position-when not in use.

A special application of the invention is in connection with furniture on seagoing vessels, aircraft-and other vehicles wherein the-movements of the vehicles cause the ordinary slidabledrawers of furniture 'equipment to openpthereby endangering the furniture and obj e'cts and persons in' the vicinity thereof.

Although various types of drawer retaining devices are available, many of them-are g'ene'rally inadequate -for use on equipment carried bywehiclesof the-type mentioned from 'the standpoint of not being able to resist .the forces involved. Others require the actuation of -a thumb latch, levers or other means'protruding fromthe front of the drawer which is not oiily-unsightlyandrde tracts from theappe'ar'ance of the equipment but is also liable tobe trippedaccidentaHy and oause damage. Still other types are subjectito getting out of order'freque'ntly, are expensive' toxmanufuture and install and 'a're not easily repaired.

Accordingly, it 'is an object of this invention ltO provide a drawer holding or retaining device which can he used on equipment in vehicles of the type mentioned as well as on stationary equipment.

Another object of the'invention-isthe provision of such a device whichdoesnot requireindependent actuation by "the user of any latchesglevers or other-means.

A further object is the provision of such a 1 de vice which is wholly concealed within the equipment andwhich, thereforedoes notdetractfrom the appearance of the equipment.

. Stillfurther .objectsare the-provision of: such .a device which cannot be .trippedaccidently, which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and which is not likely to get out "of'order.

These and other objeetszandiadvantages .of-the invention willfloe apparent. from the followingaies'cription considered together with the accompanyingnrawing,.inWhich:

Figure l .is a side :elevational vie'w of :an embodiment or the invention as .it appears in ,position :on a filing cabinet zdrawer, the drawer .being closed;

iFigurea :is aaisection along the line :Q i' of Figfir able resilient material, such :as rubber.

Figure-:3 is-asection-a-long the line -3-'3 of'Fig- 'ure 1 yand Figure iris. an isometric view of the spring clip bracket.

iReferring'with more particularity'to the drawing which like :numerals designate like parts, .the embodiment illustrated comprises a :stirrup H which is--secured 1to theside of the drawer 2 at the :rear thereof :byeny -suitable-means such as melding. The-bottom l 3 :of "the stirrup slopes upwardly toward the-rear. It is provided at the back with a= biiinper RM and at the front with anotherbumper (l 5,-said bump'ersbeing of any suit- Abutments :IS :and ll at :the rear and front, respectively, .of :the drawer guide are adapted to con- -.t'act-said bumperswhen the :drawer is opened and closed to minimize shook.

:An angle 1 bracket 4:8 is secured to the drawer guide by boltsior rivets 18 passing through its vertical side. Thelbracket1 8 carriesat the front :a flange intheiform .cf LalhQriZQntaI-bearing, plate wand atitsrearanother flange in the'formof a horizontal hook :member .2 I consisting of a plate having a square notch -22 :cut out at the front thereof, substantially as-shown. The rear hook member 2| is preferably at a higher elevation than the frontplate 2B.

.-A=spring clip 23 is -.dis posedacross the hook :2 l and bearing .plate 26, the frontend 2A thereof vslidablyresting on=the plate. The rear end has --a-hairpin bend to-straddlethe hook 21 and a lip :25 :for engaging the notch 22, substantially as shown in Figure :1. A portion 26 of the spring clip .is bowedoutwardly andprojects toward the stirrup] l. I

To the bottom il-3of the stirrup an'outwardly convex member 121 is secured by means of rivets or bolts 28 orany 'othersuitable means. in normalposition, the member??? projects below the top of the bowed aportion of the spring clip. When .the drawer is in-closed position themember it! bears against the back .of the bowed pornon-26 asshown in-Figure 1.

When the drawer is pulled open, the spring clip 2-3. is compressed downwardlyby the member 21. After. it ;passes this ,-,point the drawer moves normally. When the drawer is closed again the member 21 in its backward travel again compresses the :spring clip 23 when the drawer :ap-- proaches closed .position vand homes to --rest 3 just behind the bowed portion when the drawer is fully closed. In this position, the drawer is prevented from opening accidentally.

To balance forces acting on the drawer, it is preferred to have two of the devices described above attached to the drawer, one on either side thereof, although, it is within the spirit of this invention to provide only one of the devices on only one side of the drawer.

It is to be understood that, although the invention has been described with the spring clip 23 beneath the stirrup H, it is within the scope of the invention to position the spring clip above or on the side of the stirrup, the corresponding parts thereof being rearranged accordingly.

I claim:

1. In combination, a drawer guide, a drawer slidably disposed on said guide and movable thereon between open and closed positions, a stirrup secured to the side of the drawer, a spring clip on the guide and adjacent said stirrup in the closed position of the drawer, said clip being secured in fixed position relative to the drawer guide and having a normally unstressed compressible bowed portion between its ends projecting toward the stirrup, a bracket on the guide for supporting the ends of said clip, one of said ends being secured to and the other end being slidably engaged with the bracket, and means carried by the stirrup for compressing said bowed portion when the drawer approaches its closed position and for engaging the rear side of said bowed portion when the drawer is in its fully closed position.

2. In combination, a drawer guide, a drawer slidably disposed on said guide and movable thereon between open and closed positions, a stirrup secured to the side of the drawer, a spring clip on the guide and adjacent said stirrup in the closed position of the drawer, said clip being secured in fixed position relative to the drawer guide and having a normally unstressed compressible bowed portion between its end projecting toward the stirrup, a bracket on the guide for supporting the ends of said clip, one of said ends being secured to and the other end being slidably engaged with the bracket, said stirrup having a convex member for compressing said bowed portion when the drawer approaches its closed position and for engaging the rear side of said bowed portion when the drawer is in its fully closed position.

3. In combination, a drawer guide, a drawer slidably disposed on said guide and movable thereon between open and closed positions, a stirrup secured to the side of the drawer, resilient means carried by said stirrup at the front and rear thereof and fixed abutments adapted to contact said means when the drawer is in its open and closed positions, respectively, a spring clip on the guide adjacent said stirrup in the closed position of the drawer, said clip being secured in a fixed position relative to the drawer guide and having a compressible bowed portion between its ends projecting toward the stirrup, a bracket on the guide for supporting the ends of said clip, one of said ends being secured to and the other end being slidably engaged with the bracket, and means carried by the stirrup for compressing said bowed portion when the drawer approaches its closed position and for engaging the rear side of said bowed portion when the drawer is in its fully closed position.

4. In combination, a drawer guide, a drawer slidably disposed on said guide and movable thereon between open and closed positions, a stirrup secured to the side of the drawer, a bracket on the guide secured in fixed position relative to the drawer guide and adjacent said stirrup, a spring clip carried by said bracket and having a normally unstressed compressible bowed portion between its ends projecting toward the stirrup, one end of the clip being secured to and the other end being slidably engaged with the bracket, and means carried by the stirrup for compressing said bowed portion when the drawer approaches its closed position and for engaging the rear side of said bowed portion when the drawer is in closed position.

5. In combination, a drawer guide, a drawer slidably disposed on said guide and movable thereon between open and closed positions, a stirrup secured to the side of the drawer, a bracket secured in fixed position relative to the drawer guide, said bracket having flanges extending outwardly therefrom, a spring clip on the bracket and having one end secured to one of said flanges and the other end bearing against and slidably engaging the other fiange, said clip having also a compressible bowed portion between its ends projecting toward the stirrup and means carried by the stirrup for compressing said bowed portion when the drawer approaches its closed position and for engaging the rear side of said bowed portion when the drawer is in closed position.

6. In combination, a drawer guide, a drawer slidably disposed on said guide and movable thereon between open and closed positions, a stirrup secured to the side of the drawer, a bracket secured in fixed position relative to the drawer guide, said bracket having flanges extending outwardly therefrom, a spring clip on the bracket and having one end secured to one of said flanges and the other end bearing against and slidably engaging the other flange, said clip having also a compressible bowed portion between its ends projecting toward the stirrup, said stirrup having a convex member for compressing said bowed portion when the drawer approaches its closed position and for engaging the rear side of said bowed portion between its ends when the drawer is in closed position.

'7. In combination, a drawer guide, a drawer slidably disposed on said guide and movable thereon between open and closed positions, a stirrup secured to the side of the drawer, resilient means carried by said stirrup at the front and rear thereof and fixed abutments adapted to contact said means when the drawer is in its opened and closed position, respectively, a bracket secured in fixed position relative to the drawer guide, said bracket having flanges extending outwardly therefrom, a spring clip on the bracket and having one end secured to one of said flanges and the other end bearing against and slidably engaging the other flange, said clip having also a compressible bowed portion between its ends projecting toward the stirrup and means carried by the stirrup for compressing said bowed portion when the drawer approaches its closed position and for engaging the rear side of said bowed portion when the drawer is in closed position.

8. In combination, a drawer guide, a drawer slidably disposed on said guide and movable thereon between open and closed positions, a stirrup secured to the side of the drawer, said stirrup having resilient means at the front and rear thereof and fixed abutments adapted to contact said means when the drawer is in its opened and closed position, respectively, a bracket secured in fixed position relative to the drawer guide, said bracket having flanges extending outwardly therefrom, a spring clip on the bracket and having one end secured to one of said flanges and the other end bearing against and slidably engaging the other flange, said clip having also a compressible bowed portion between its ends projecting toward the stirrup, said stirrup having a convex member for compressing saidbowed portion when the drawer approaches its closed position and for engaging the rear side of said bowed portion when the drawer is in closed position.

RUDOLPH H. WILMER.

6 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Wait Apr. 30, 1895 Hoffmire July 4, 1899 Martin July 14, 1914 Saul July 13, 1915 Dike Feb. 23, 1932 Cutler Dec. 19, 1933 Reeves Nov. 4, 1947 

